Quote Originally Posted by McClef View Post
Their cheapies don't use the phrase "Made in Scotland" - they have on the label "Scottish Highland KILT Authentic Woven Tartan - Designed in Scotland."
They are 1) Scottish Highland KIlt (just not terribly fine in quality and made somewhere other than Scotland) 2) Use some kind of woven cloth (albeit not wool and not from Scottish sheep) 3) Are designed in Scotland (I have no doubt that the design and specifications have come from the Gold Bros. which are a Scottish Company). The Singh Gold family are as Scottish, after all, as Sir Montague Burton (founder of Burtons), Michael Marks (co-founder of Marks and Spenser) were English. That goes for almost the entire garment industry of Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow...... And even the "Gentile" shops of Savile Row... Following the great wave of Jewish migration from czarist Russia, not only did Jewish tailors produce mass goods in the East End but also the West End and Savile Row (by the 1920s most Savile Row shops used "cheap Jewish tailors"). In the US it was really not much different (with a slightly different demographics which included a large wave of Italian tailors among the 2 million that arrived between 1900 and 1910).

What do people see? The words Scottish, Kilt, Highland, Tartan and Scotland and what impression does that make?
And what impression does a pair of Nike shoes? Ralph Lauren pullover? Levis jeans (an American household staple but they aren't made in America anymore), Tommy Hilfiger shirt,.... None of it "made in the USA". And what does garment production in the USA look like? Sweat shops and piece-rate "sub-contractors" continue to feed on an "undocumented" and easily exploited workforce.

If you were to apply the demand that "Scottish kilts" be labeled as to the source of their tartans, the wool and the workmanship.. (why not even the means of production as there are differences between individual kilt makers and the increasingly common assembly line methods) and apply it to nearly any other items in the shops.. things were look quite odd.. The $600 English shoe made by subcontractors in Spain or Romania.. Clothing is global! How about American fried chicken? China imports chicken feet from the US and the US imports cheap chickens from Thailand. An American brand is no guarantee that its "Made in America" perhaps a good bet that its probably not. Back to shoes.. Most of the European dress shoes that are sold in the American market under American labels at most of the mainstream shops and dept stores are not even made in Europe but.. India.. not really even India.. but China using Indian leather (global sub-contracting, environment and fun with national origin labeling)... Clothing.. Used to be a lot was made in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, North Africa (for the US also Mexico).. but now with the quotas off.. its China. Already nearly 80 percent of the U.S. clothing market!

And even Scottish made clothing.. Where do you think the material likely comes from? "Made in Scotland" does not mean entirely made in Scotland. Even the finest "made in Scotland" kilt probably has imported leather straps and buckles. "Made in.." does not also say anything about "who".

And there is a niche in US. Shoes and clothing continue to be made to high standards (ecological and human). Dov Charney (from Westmount, Montreal) has had great success with "American Apparel": made in Los Angeles without sweat shops and piece price but $13 minimum wage (contrasted to some of the big US designer labels that have time and again found among their textiles goods produced using child and slave labour via sub-contractors in places that make China look good).....

Truth? Truth of the matter.. Why get so upset with the Scottish Singh-Gold family and not with WPG in Salinas? His "army" kilts are not Scottish (and not designed in Scotland) but made in Pakistan. They are fine kilts but not very accurate reproductions and easy to spot when compared to the "real thing" (which is natural given that "real" army kilts were completely handsewn and made by some of the best shops including Wm Anderson and Thomas Gordon & Sons using very special cloth made by Robert Noble of Peebles).

And who provides jobs in Scotland?